Box-delivering mechanism.



J. A. STOCK.

-80X DELIVERING MECHANISM;

APPLICATION man JULY 11. 1913.

Patented J un 1, 1915.

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BOX DELIVERING MECHANISM. APPLJCATION HLED .lULY n. 1913.

1,141,501. Patentedlunel, 1915.

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BOX DELIVERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11. 1913.

1,141,501 Patehted June 1, 1915.

a suzns-snn1i g Q WW ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS A. STOCK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO W. C. RITCHIE & COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BOX-DELIVERING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 17, 1913. Serial No. 779,486.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jones A. STOCK, a citizen of'the United States, and a resident of Chicago, Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Box- Delivering Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

Inthe making of certain kinds of boxes, such as certain cigarette boxes, for example, a label is applied which extends around the closed box. In order to open the box this label has to be slit along one edge of the box.

The present machine is designed for shtting such labels and for delivering the boxes in. groups with a predetermined number in each group.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a horizontal section of the machine showing the guideways for the boxes in plan, the plane of section being indicated a proximately by -the line 11 of 4; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a partial section on a plane lower than that of Fig. 1 indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a vertical section substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 1, showing the principal parts of the apparatus in front elevation; Fig. 5 is a side clevation of a detail of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 4 showing the principal parts in side elevation; Fig. 7 is a detail of certain driving mechanism; Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on a plane indicated by the line 8, Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse section through the horizontal guides adjacent to the vertical guideway, being substantially an enlargen'ient of part of Fig. 6; Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a guard for the slitting knife, removed from Fig. 6; Fig. 11 is a perspective view of abox partly slit.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the box (Fig. 11) is composed of two parts A and B around which is the label or covering strip C. To permit the opening of the box at one edge the strip. C must be slit in line with the junction of the two parts A and B of the box along said edge. Such a slit is shown partly formed at The boxes, indicated as a whole by the letter E, are arranged on edge and fed in a horizontal direction, indicated in Fig. 4 through suitable guides and feeding devices.

The foremost box of the row is then given a vertical movement past a rotating slitting knife. Thereupon the slit boxes, indicated at E in the Lower part of Fig. 4, are fed in a row until a group containing a certain number of the boxes is assembled, whereupon this group is shifted transversely as indicated by the arrow at the right of Fig. 1. These operations being repeated carry the boxes to the point of exit in assembled groups containing always the same number, which permits an easy handling and packing of the boxes for shipping.

.The boxes are applied in a row on edge in the beginning upon an endless belt F running upon a table G with suitable low guides H. The row of boxes is engaged on the top at intervals by brushes J, K rotating in the direction of the arrows so as to maintain the boxes upright and assist in the feeding. Near the forward end of this guide-table there are higher guides L at one side and M at, the other side to engage the edges of .the boxes; the longer guides L being at the side of the table opposite the operator so that .the boxes may be easily shoved against the same into correct position. This feeding mechanism has a frictional engagement with the boxes so as to constantly press them forward at a comparatively rapid rate, although the actual movement of the row is rendered intermittent by the interference of the vertical feeding mechanism hereinafter referred to.

From the belt F or guide-table G the boxes are pushed into a vertical guideway between guides N and t) having flared sides adjacent to'the guidetable (l and having flanges P at the opposite sides to prevent the boxes from passing through the guideway. This vertical guideway is proportioned to fit a single box frictionally. The boxes are fed one by one down through this guideway by means of a reciprocating pusher Q working in guides Q and driven through a connect ing rod It from an. overhead pulley S which constantly rotates in the direction of the arrow. The stroke is such that the pusher Q, rises above the top of the boxes and re mains there long enough for the belt F and brush K to introduce the next box into the vertical guideways; whereupon the pusher descends and pushes the box down below the bottom of the horizontally advancing row.

Patented June 1, 1915. i

. of the guide V is a horizontally reciprocatpusher Q, therefore, they are slit along the edge by the knife T and are finally forced out of the bottom of the vertical guideway and into the space between a pair of guides V at the level of a lower table or plate W. This is shown best in Fig. 3. At the left ing pusher X actuated by a cam Y which pushes the successive slit boxes E m a row across the table W. This table is provided 'withside guides Z. At the rear of the row of boxes formed by the action of the pusher X is a long pusher 0: adapted to engage a group of a certain number of boxes, twenty in the case illustrated. When such a row of boxes is completed in front of the pusher a the latter is automatically given a 'forward movement which advances the entire group of boxes out of the way of the next box coming from the pusher.

The usher a is mounted on the end of a rod 6 suitably guided on the table and connected on its rear end to the lower end of a lever 0 pivoted at an intermediate point upon the frame of the machine and carryin at its upper end a roller which is engage in a cam-groove upon the cam d. This cam is mounted on a shaft 6 which is connected through a one-revolution clutch f to a bev eled gear 9 which is driven from the shaft of the pulley S. The clutch f is of any usual or suitable type. Normally the cam is held in the position of Figs. 4 and 5 holding the pusher a back. When the clutch is permitted to operate, however, it causes the gearg to turn theshafte and cam d through one revolution, at the end of which the clutch is stopped and the gear 9 disengaged from the shaft, and the camis held in its normal position; the one revolution of the cam serving to operate the pusher a and advance the entire transverse row of boxes as above described. For holding and releasing the clutch f it is provided with a projection g in the path of which is a stop It held in the normal position by means of a spring 7' and pin k. The stop It is pivoted at its lower end and is connected through a link Z with a lever m pivoted at an intermediate point upon an upright from the table \V and having its lower end in line with the row of boxes coming from the pusher X.

.. When the desired number of boxes has accumulated in this row the foremost box strikes the lower end of the lever m and Fig. 7 illustrates a suitable gearing for driving the various devices other than the pusher a. The shaft 11. of the driving pulley S carries a sprocket wheel which drives a sprocket chain 0 which engages a sprocket on the shaft p of the brush K nearest to the upright guideway. The sprocket chain 0 also engages a wheel on the shaft g of the inner pulley which drives the first feeding belt F. This shaft q carries a belt pulley 1' The clutch then causes the opera;-

which connects through a crossed belt 8 with v a smaller pulley on the shaft 3 of the first brush J. Finally the chain 0 engages a sprocket wheel on a shaft to which carries the cam Y whereby the pusher X is reciprocated. The pulley U of the slitting knife is driven from a belt 1; running to any suit able driving pulley overhead.

Though I have described with great particularity of detail a specific machine embodying the invention, yd is not to be understood therefrom it t invention is restricted to the particular embodiment dcscribed.

Various modifications in detail and in the arrangementand combination of the parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention.

The box delivering mechanism herein de scribed and claimed is not limited in its use to machines of the character described, but is capable of satisfactory employment in mechanisms of widely different character.

What I claim is 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of means for delivering articles successively in longitudinal series, means acting automatically upon the delivery of a predetermined number of articles to discharge the same in a group transversely of the delivery, said means comprising a pusher, means for actuating the same, continuously operating driving means, a clutch interposed between the actuating and the driving means, and means arranged in the path of and actuated automatically upon the delivery of a predetermined number of pusher, a cam for actuating the same, continuously operating driving means, a clutch interposed between the cam and the drivin means, and means arranged in the path 0 5 and actuated automatically upon the delivery of a predetermined number of articles to operate the clutch.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JULIUS A. STOCK. Witnesses:

ALFRED C. ANDERS, A. M. TREDWELL. 

